Brutality in Basic Training

[F4phantom]

We were all T.U.R.D.'s. Trainees Undergoing Rigid Discipline.



Semper Fi

 

[SS336]

I don’t know how “brutal” it was, but a funny story. 1964 boot camp in San Diego we spent a lot of time learning how to fold up our uniforms to fit in a locker.
You were washing your stuff on concrete wash tables drying them on clothes lines and refolding them to fit in your locker.
One boot was caught with his locker just having a front of clothes for inspection and the rest, dirty, under his mattress.
They took his entire seabag and dumped in a metal trash can, filled it half way with water and soap. He had to strip naked, climb in the can and march, yelling “I’m a scrounge” for what seemed like forever.
It was funny and very hard not to laugh, but I think they got the point across.

 

[Jeff423]

Naval Training Center, San Diego California, summer of 1962. I could burn up some serious band width with examples and illustrations but suffice it to say that each barracks building was a 2 story building that housed 1 battalion (4 companies). 2 Companies up stairs and 2 down stairs.

Navy boot camp back then was 16 weeks. Here are some statistics from my time there.
. 3 suicide attempts, 1 of which was successful. one on a night in my company when I was on fire watch. I was able to intervene and saved him.
. 7 AWOL attempts. My company commander told us the first day, in so many words, that some of us would go over the fence before it was over. And he said that if he didn't get 3 or 4 he was not doing his job.
. 12 or 15 recruits reported to sick bay with injuries some as a direct result physical assault from company commander some as a result of activities ordered by company commander. A couple required hospitalization one required surgery.
. Every one experience some form of Physical "dicipline" I was gut-punched several times.

Here are some of the favorites of my company commander:
. 16 count manual of arms with a fully packed sea-bag.
. extensive pt sessions
. We trained with the old Springfield rifles with the barrels leaded in. He would strap two of them together butt to muzzle. Running the length of the barracks was a loooonnnng picnic style table, referred to as a "center board". The offending recruit was ordered to sit on top and hook his feet under the bench he faced. Then place the rifles behind his head and do sit-ups until the back of his pants was bloody from hitting on the back edge of the table top.

The frequent gut-punch and the occasional openhanded face slap.

And just as bad was the high degree of psychological terror. You knew what he was capable of and lived with the constant fear that sooner or later he would get around to you....and he did.

Some of us didn't make it. Some of us did. You know the old saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I believe that is a true statement. You learn how to take a trimming as well as how to give one. You learn where a lot of your limits are. If you get through it you will be a lot more self confident.

The first couple of weeks I was terrified. I just knew he wanted to kill me. But then it occurred to me that it wasn't personal. He treated everyone the same. He was trying to weed out the ones that weren't fit. From that point on I was okay. I just resolved myself to my situation and determined that I could take what ever he dished out. I could and I did.
It wasn't fun. It took me a few years but I finally understood the benefits I got from this experience. Had I not goner through lit all I think I'd be less of a man than I am today.

Some believe that this kind of training is excessively brutal. Some believe it is necessary to prepare you for the rigors of ship board life and for self discipline and strength to survive combat. What I believe is that, considering the softness of boot camp these days, we have gone from one extreme to the other.

It's hard to believe that Navy basic training changed that much in seven years. When I was at Great Lakes NTC in '69 our "boot camp" was much like the Air Force training described above: lots of clothes folding, classes, we ran an obstacle course about 5 times, shot a .22 about five shots.
Weight didn't seem to be a problem but swimming was. You had to pass a swimming test before you could complete basic and I remember several guys were held back until they passed the test.
They tried to teach us how to march but that was mostly for the "Graduation" formation.
I remember our "DI" was a Boiler Tender CPO and being an instructor at boot camp was about the only way he could get shore duty. I think he was just glad not to be at sea and didn't care much about the rest of it. He knew he was going back to sea duty fairly soon.

 

[walkin jack]

I don’t know how “brutal” it was, but a funny story. 1964 boot camp in San Diego we spent a lot of time learning how to fold up our uniforms to fit in a locker.
You were washing your stuff on concrete wash tables drying them on clothes lines and refolding them to fit in your locker.
One boot was caught with his locker just having a front of clothes for inspection and the rest, dirty, under his mattress.
They took his entire seabag and dumped in a metal trash can, filled it half way with water and soap. He had to strip naked, climb in the can and march, yelling “I’m a scrounge” for what seemed like forever.
It was funny and very hard not to laugh, but I think they got the point across.

There you go! THIS is what I'm talkin; about! My old company commander would have been on that like a duck on a June bug.

 

[UncleEd]

Quite a few stories here of mock
and real brutality or just plain
hazing.

But who was aware of sergeants
being thrown down stairs, being
beaten and the culprits never
identified?

The attacks could come on base
or within a fort or sometimes
in the nearby town.

Sometimes the recruits, or perhaps
better referred to as "inmates,"
could be meaner than the
sergeant disciplinarians. The
attackers could be draftees
and came from the mean streets
of America.

 

[skywag]

I was actually allowed to photo our flight at Lackland.....1968

 

[Goldstar225]

Went to Basic in Ft. Ord in June '74 three weeks after turning 17. 5'7" and 117#. Our DI Cadre was tough but fair. The worst I saw was one guy in my platoon being thrown off the top bunk by the DI because he was a lazy butt who regularly overslept. Being a farm boy who worked his butt of I had no problem with the physical side of basic but I did gain 20# during the eight weeks. I crossed over to the Air Force the next year and spent 1 week in basic, I bypassed tested my way past the rest of it.

 

[Old cop]

Naval Training Center, San Diego California, summer of 1962. I could burn up some serious band width with examples and illustrations but suffice it to say that each barracks building was a 2 story building that housed 1 battalion (4 companies). 2 Companies up stairs and 2 down stairs.

Navy boot camp back then was 16 weeks. Here are some statistics from my time there.
. 3 suicide attempts, 1 of which was successful. one on a night in my company when I was on fire watch. I was able to intervene and saved him.
. 7 AWOL attempts. My company commander told us the first day, in so many words, that some of us would go over the fence before it was over. And he said that if he didn't get 3 or 4 he was not doing his job.
. 12 or 15 recruits reported to sick bay with injuries some as a direct result physical assault from company commander some as a result of activities ordered by company commander. A couple required hospitalization one required surgery.
. Every one experience some form of Physical "dicipline" I was gut-punched several times.

Here are some of the favorites of my company commander:
. 16 count manual of arms with a fully packed sea-bag.
. extensive pt sessions
. We trained with the old Springfield rifles with the barrels leaded in. He would strap two of them together butt to muzzle. Running the length of the barracks was a loooonnnng picnic style table, referred to as a "center board". The offending recruit was ordered to sit on top and hook his feet under the bench he faced. Then place the rifles behind his head and do sit-ups until the back of his pants was bloody from hitting on the back edge of the table top.

The frequent gut-punch and the occasional openhanded face slap.

And just as bad was the high degree of psychological terror. You knew what he was capable of and lived with the constant fear that sooner or later he would get around to you....and he did.

Some of us didn't make it. Some of us did. You know the old saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I believe that is a true statement. You learn how to take a trimming as well as how to give one. You learn where a lot of your limits are. If you get through it you will be a lot more self confident.

The first couple of weeks I was terrified. I just knew he wanted to kill me. But then it occurred to me that it wasn't personal. He treated everyone the same. He was trying to weed out the ones that weren't fit. From that point on I was okay. I just resolved myself to my situation and determined that I could take what ever he dished out. I could and I did.
It wasn't fun. It took me a few years but I finally understood the benefits I got from this experience. Had I not goner through lit all I think I'd be less of a man than I am today.

Some believe that this kind of training is excessively brutal. Some believe it is necessary to prepare you for the rigors of ship board life and for self discipline and strength to survive combat. What I believe is that, considering the softness of boot camp these days, we have gone from one extreme to the other.

I went through the same training in the summer of 1965 & not much had changed. I still use some of the lessons learned so many years ago.